GOP Rep. Duncan Hunter tells the Washington Times that he's the party's "best bet to reconstitute the blue-collar coalition that helped the party win the White House in the 1980s. Mr. Hunter, who is seeking the presidential nomination in 2008, says he can rebuild that coalition by campaigning on defense, traditional values and fair trade."

GOP Sen. Sam Brownback, meanwhile, said on ABC that "'there is room, on the Republican side, for somebody that's a full-scale conservative, that's an economic and fiscal and social conservative... So we'll be making some announcements, soon, about that'... In addition to taking an AIDS test" to highlight poverty in Africa and global health issues, "Mr. Brownback also plans to spend a night in jail to highlight what he calls a need for prison reform." (Obama also has taken an AIDS test.)

The Hartford Courant says Sen. Chris Dodd (D) "is proceeding at his own carefully calibrated pace," which is not the same pace at which many of his potential rivals are moving.

Denver, having made some progress toward resolving its hotel issues, feels good about its chances to win the 2008 Democratic presidential convention -- especially after Colorado served up some key victories for the party on election day.